I posted a picture of a cup of this tea on my instagram, but I can't stop talking about it so here we go again.

When I reached out for tea recs a few weeks ago, multiple people recommended this and I was so skeptical. I've tried so many kinds of turmeric tea and really disliked them. Nor am I a big ginger fan: I like it in savory cooking but really dislike it in sweets. Ginger and I also have a difficult relationship because of how much it's supposed to ease morning sickness symptoms and it helps me none with my five months of all day sickness. But I do really like Ginger Rogers, and as a seven year old I pretty much scoffed at anyone else who tried to dance with Fred.

As compatible as Ginger and Turmeric.

I didn't love my first sip of the tea, but I knew we could warm up to each other. And twenty cups in I'm in love. It has this all around mouth feel that gets deeper the longer it brews and it doesn't get bitter.

I let Jacob taste it and he said blankly: "Vata tea." Like it was something everyone in the world grew up drinking. But, Mr. Rhodes, not everyone was raised by a hippy.

Let's see if I can think of anything else to say about this tea. Yes! I can! But I won't! So you're welcome.

And thank you to Jordan and Kate who first recommended this tea! I wouldn't be who I am today without it.

~~~

I've been baking sourdough recently. I got inspired by this new friend and she gave me some of her starter and sent me to this sourdough blog, and I was up and running, and I've had so much more baking success than I ever expected to have! I've seriously wanted this to be part of my routine since forever ago.

My crust is really tough and my shaping efforts are pretty laughable and I'm still learning how to gauge when the dough is fully proofed. But I'm loving it. This beginner loaf has been consistently good - I also made some OK pizza dough and a decent sandwich loaf.

Yesterday I took some fresh bread to my neighbor who just had a baby. I put it in a brown paper bag and walked it over hand in hand with Lucy June who was hankering for a peek at some newborn toes. The late afternoon light was stunning, and I thought: *this* is life.

~~~

I finished Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird this morning. I've been familiar with it for so long and read excerpts of it before, but I'd never read the whole thing. I can't recommend it enough if you like reading about writing. Which is one of my favorite things to read about so it's totally my cup of ginger turmeric tea.

~~~

How many books do you read at a time?

I read like five books at a time. I wonder if I would finish more books if I stuck to one, but I find myself craving different types of books at different times of day. Morning reading needs to be thoughtful. Naptime reading needs to be effortless. Evening reading needs to be gripping. In bed reading needs to be beautiful.

Currently, my bedtime book is Gilead. It's amazing. I read a couple pages and steep in the richness of it until I'm drowsy. I never want it to end.

~~~

Jacob and I went on a date last week (this restaurant for you Htown peeps) to use a Christmas gift card. It was amazing. Like entire pigs hanging in the meat locker kind of cool...so maybe that's not your thing...but I loved it.

Afterwards we went tipsy shopping at the Goodwill in the ritzy part of town. Tipsy thrifting on date night: highly recommend. I scored a couple Anthro dresses and barely used brand name shoes for the kids. I also giggled a ton because thrift stores can be so hilarious if you're two drinks in with somebody fun.

~~~

Ok. More secondhand clothes, because this is a fashion blog.

Last summer I used a two year old gift card and bought myself these shorts from Madewell. Full price! Because I am an adult. And I had a gift card.

Here they are on me!

Madewell models roll them up. I roll them down. Because enough white thigh is enough. It was everything I could do not to crop out my forehead wrinkles for this pic because #petty. But I didn't because #authenticity and they're a gift from my dad and I'm turning 32 next week so #embrace.

They have been such great shorts: they run laps around my Target shorts, which is good because I spent $75 on them. On shorts. Despite loving them, I wasn't sure I could throw down like that again.

Yesterday I remembered that I had a ThredUp credit from some clothes I sent in two years ago and voila! $90 Madewell denim shorts in my size for $26! Now I'm basking in the glow of buying (heavily discounted) quality.

Moral of the story: I have commendable shopping habits and you should try ThredUp. Just like everyone else already told you.

~~~

Jacob and I have a standing argument about how to feed a baby. His mess tolerance is very low and prefers to sit down, play the spoon game, and scrape the mouth and chin with every bite.

I'm the opposite. I'd much rather eat my food with my own hands and let baby do the same and then deal with the fallout.

My way:

 Jacob's way:

[NOT PICTURED]

[Because TEDIOUS AND BORING]

Visit Kelly for more takes and Happy Mardi Gras!

Banana Coconut Cream Popsicles

 The kiddos and I made popsicles this morning.

They helped pour ingredients into the blender and turn the on and off switch. Their eyes widened with expectation and delight as we filled the molds. And then I whisked the popsicles away and said they wouldn't be ready till after naps. I remember reading in Bringing Up Bébé how, when French families make treats together, they make the bébés wait to eat them until the culturally accepted snack time. It teaches patience or something? So I felt very French as I tucked our treats in the freezer...and kinda mean. And I liked it.

I confess that I'm not such a big popsicle fan. I'd just rather be eating ice cream, so I do. The kids however love them, and since you can tweak recipes to make them more nutritious, I think they're real winners as far summer treats go.

As soon as we've made popsicles more than twice, I can justify upgrading from our dollar store molds and land me some of these. My minimalist leanings always fly out the window when I want to embark on some vaguely nutritious new kitchen adventure. I feel like I'm doomed to fail if I don't have all the right gear. Do you suffer from this?

Say hello to a popsicle recipe that's hardly dessert it's so good for you. Well, the popsicles are very sweet, so there is the sugar thing, but otherwise: Snarf 'em down kiddies! Even your hippy grandmother would approve because I snuck in some maca root and grassfed gelatin!

Banana Coconut Cream Popsicles

1 can Coconut Cream
2 Frozen Bananas
2-3 T. Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Gelatin optional
1 tsp. Maca Powder optional
1 Tbs. chocolate sauce optional

Blend all ingredients except chocolate in blender, pour into molds, dollop some chocolate sauce on top (bottom?) and feel very fancy while twirling it in.

If you have some killer popsicle recipes/ingredients/tips/gear - or if your name is Jenna and you make gorgeous popsicles and blog at Wilber Huset - you should divulge in the comment section!!!

I would be grateful. My kids would be grateful! And my husband would be grateful...so long as the kids eat them outside mostly naked and I tackle them with a wet wipe on their way back inside. #messophobicfather.

Fluffy Ramblings and a Bump

I started my last draft with a plan to go full fluff, but then things got heavy. I cried while I wrote it. I think posts no longer qualify as fluff once someone starts crying.

So I paused it. Went on a date with Ben & Jerry's, and now I'm back.

~~~

I've been combing the archives of this little lady recently. She's like the cutest ever, and she's about to have her first baby, and she's just so delightfully stalk-able, so go forth.

~~~

I've been experimenting with DIY shampoo again. (Ah. This life. Riveting!) It's actually a terrible time to experiment because during pregnancy my hair and scalp get super dry, so it's hard to tell what's causing what, but I'm on a castille soap/honey kick right now, and I'm moderately pleased with it.

I've also finally made some epsom salt spray - I used this recipe  - and don't you know I went the chamomile/lemon route because I'm always Hail Marying for highlights. Results: not in. My spray bottle kept getting clogged and leaking and the concoction would run down my arms, and I don't wash my hair regularly, so I can't experiment very easily with how much to use. Long story short: I'm basically Mrs. Paul Mitchell.

I'll probably just throw in the beach towel and buy some, but not before it sits in my Amazon cart for a couple weeks and I go through several cycles of buyer's guilt before I've even purchased it.

We all have our neuroses I suppose.

~~~

You want to know a fluffy secret I don't think I've ever shared? You want to talk more exemplary hygiene?

I don't shave my legs. Except for the very rare occasion, I haven't shaved in the last five years.

And this isn't like a hippy, crunchy thing. I'm not some kind of hairy feminist.

I got some waxing done when I was a blushing bride and went on a razor-free honeymoon, and after six weeks of hairless underarms, I was like: I'm never shaving again. So now I mostly epilate. Yes. It hurts. An Italian friend first introduced me to epilating. At about eight hairs in, I swore I'd never do it again. But once I'd had a couple waxes, it didn't hurt near as much, and now that I'm a few years in, I don't even flinch. And then I'm golden and hair-free for 6-8 weeks. Are there any other epiladies out there?

~~~

I'm trying to cut back on the amount of meat we eat. Since I've been sick with Baby 3, our food budget has been off the hook. I haven't been cooking ($$) and Jacob's been doing all the grocery shopping ($$$). So we're trying to venture back into the wide world of legumes, but as I make this valiant effort, I'm noticing that all my bean recipes are very wintery. So I'd love any recommendations you could send my way!

~~~

Lucy June talks a lot about my parents' animals. Their cat, Izzy, who scratched her (Izzy! ouch! Izzy! Hurting!) and also their dog, Beau. When we were at their house last, my parents tried to teach her how to give the dog commands, so now she randomly walks around our house lisping: "Shit, Beau! Shit! Shit, Beau!"

I know it won't last long. Good things never do.

~~~

And as titularly promised, here we are pushing 19 weeks.

On Friday we head to Boston, to watch my dad run the marathon. I'm so proud of him and excited to see ducklings and haunt lots of quaint coffee shops.

And that's all for now.

On Green Cleaning Dirty Dishes. The Spaghetti Scrub Review and Giveaway

I spend a bunch of time in the kitchen (yay!) and a decent amount of time at the sink (not so yay!). This phase of life is full of so many dirty dishes, and I never could find a sponge, brush, scrub that I liked.

I feel like I've run the gamut. I've microwaved stinky sponges. I've fished slimy egg out of mesh scrubs. I've watched soap dispensing brushes just waste and waste and waste my dish soap. I even went through a phase of using those little mesh garlic bags. They worked well enough that I'd probably still be using them, if I'd never met The Spaghetti Scrub.

Back in July, the nice folks at Goodbye Detergent sent me some of their alternative cleaning goods and like a dutiful kitchen diva, I've been work-horsing them for months now.

So let's talk about this scrub. It's all natural. Like practically edible.

It's made with peach pits and corncobs (crunchy heart eyes). It lathers up with very little soap and dries out quickly so bacteria doesn't build up. It's designed in a way that with a simple rinse, it lets go of gunk.  It's not the cheapest scrub on the block, but it lasts for months, so it's ultimately pretty cost effective.

(I'm manipulating my font sizes to draw attention to certain perks of the product. I hope it's adding to your experience. I'm sure Anthropologie will be contacting me to write copy for them any. day. now.)

But seriously. It's a great product. And it's like our little kitchen pet.

Goodbye Detergent makes a variety of products. We also got to try their Outdoor Scouring Pad on our grill and their Cutting Board Refresher which has got me all inspired about making my own beeswax/mineral oil cutting board butter so my cutting boards can get good and polished!

Goodbye Detergent offered to give you one of their starter sets: The Original Spaghetti Scrubs Set. It will bring some merriment to the seasonal influx of dishes to one special reader!!

And check back tomorrow for our second annual Rhodes Honey giveaway!

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment with any of your favorite alternative cleaning tips and/or check out the Goodbye Detergent Facebook page! (If you have any trouble commenting just e-mail me!)

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Thoughts on Cloth Diapering and a GIVEAWAY

If you're just here to enter a giveaway - no shame in that, especially because it's a Cloth Diapering giveaway - then scroll on down to the bottom.

So...we cloth diaper. You knew that right? Most of you probably weren't around when I first wrote about cloth diapering here, my sister tells me it remains her favorite post I've ever written...? Our cloth diapering method hasn't changed very much over the years.

It's basically just this:

                          Prefolds                                       Covers                              A Place to Put Them

I don't think I'm gifted at blog tutorialing, so I'll spare you details, but Sheena has a great tutorial on a basic diaper stash here. There are of course lots of other ways to cloth diaper, and Nell has a great breakdown of the different types of cloth diapers here. There are entire WEBSITES dedicated to it you can check out if you've got the bug.

I have been cloth diapering a long time, and here are some things that have helped me with the cloth diapering "mental game."

MY THREE CENTS OF A SOAP BOX ABOUT CLOTH DIAPERS

1. Find your rhythm. Expect to change your rhythm.

Cloth diapering takes getting used to, but when you're used to it, it's not that big of a deal. There will be hiccups that make you feel like throwing in the towel, but you can work through them and then it will go back to being easy again.

When Jake was a baby I washed diapers every other day. Then I got a few more diapers, and I washed twice a week. Right now we use disposables at night and we have a large enough cloth diaper stash that I only have to wash the diapers once a week. It's great. It's working. I never have to think about it. Circumstances will change and babies will change and you will have to rework your system, but you can do it, and soon you'll be settled into a new rhythm.

2. Win the war and lose some battles. 
 Cloth diapering doesn't have to be ALL in ALL the time.

I know mothers of multiple children who have diapered every baby differently. Some of those sweet little bums have been 100% cloth diapered, while another bum was disposable all the way. I've known moms who cloth diaper one kid and use disposables on another at the same time.

I almost threw in the cloth diapering towel soon after my second was born. I was cloth diapering both kids and cloth diapering at night and living in a small apartment with a tiny little washer and it just wasn't working. So I chilled out and stopped cloth diapering at night.

Don't let cloth diapering turn you into a screeching little teapot on the stove. There will be nights, vacations, and seasons in your life where cloth diapering might not make sense, and that's OK. Get back on the wagon when you can.

3. Own it. Own the fluff butt. Own the extra chore. Feel good about doing it.

Now, when you ARE on the cloth diaper wagon: be your own little cheerleader. Remember why you're cloth diapering and feel good about it. Feel good how much money you saved this week by cloth diapering. Enjoy how it helps make your home more self-sufficient. Cloth diapering is not that hard, but it is a little something extra in a time of life when you don't have much extra to give. Chances are you're not getting too much encouragement, so encourage yourself or e-mail me and I'll encourage you.

>>>>>> GIVEAWAY <<<<<<<

All of our covers are Thirsties Duo Wraps save one... and I never reach for that one...because it's not my favorite. Thirsties are my favorite. Thirsties Duo Wrap covers are simple and durable; they come in two sizes that together last from birth to potty training.

I've been a Thirsties fan since the beginning of my diapering days. Once I received a Thirsties Duo Wrap that had a minor defect; I contacted them about it, and they sent me a new one right away, and they also sent me a prepaid label to return the flawed diaper cover so they could repair it and donate it to families in need. Tell me that doesn't break your little dear heart??

Thirsties recently sent me one of their Duo Hemp Prefolds to try, and man if that thing isn't a workhorse.

Hemp is great for cloth diapering because it's more absorbent than cotton and it cleans more easily than synthetic materials. I'd had a couple hemp doublers in the past, but I'd never tried any prefolds other than cotton ones. I don't have years of experience with it to speak from, but so far, I love it. My favorite thing about this hemp prefold:

It's like a big tube. So you get all those layers of absorbency, but that hole makes it easier to clean and faster to dry, and like the Duo Wrap the Prefold comes in two sizes and can be folded to grow with your baby.

This hemp prefold is knit, and thus seems stronger and more flexible than my woven cotton prefolds. After years of use, some of my cotton prefolds are starting to tear and fray, this has been kind of devastating, and I've been living in total denial about it, but the existence of this Duo Hemp Prefold has me positively excited that it's time to resupply.

They're made in America - often by women working from home - and sourced in America. They make a great product, and they stand by it.

So they're great. Has that been communicated? American made great. And they're letting me give a Duo Wrap and a Duo Hemp Prefold to one lucky winner! I hope you win, but if you don't, visit them on their facebook page where they do giveaways weekly because they're swell like that.

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Make Your Own Yogurt, You Yogurt Eater You

To make or to buy? This debate spans all kinds of industry, but is especially hot when it comes to yogurt. Is it really worth the hassle? Not surprisingly, I think it is. I tend to prefer my food life to be served up with a whole lot of unnecessary fuss in the name of "simplicity" however, and maybe you're like the polar opposite and that's fine. So here are some reasons to make yogurt at home.

- 1 -

It's Cheaper

Homemade yogurt is cheaper. Our homemade yogurt costs about $1.50/quart and our preferred storebought yogurt costs $4.00/quart. That means it's at least twice as expensive to buy it at the store. Your margins might be different, but this is true for us.

Maybe you're a frugalista like me, and you calculate how much you save by doing things yourself and then converting that into an hourly wage. I've been making yogurt for a long time, and it honestly only takes me about five minutes of "active" time. So if I make a half gallon of yogurt that saves me 5$ and it only takes me five extra minutes, it's kind of like earning 60$/hour.

But let's say making yogurt takes a lot more time than that for you, maybe you like to watch the pot boil and the temperature rise and you did nothing but stare at it for that entire half hour. Even in that scenario, I bet you'd still come out above minimum wage.

- 2 -

You Have Control Over the Milk Quality

I'm picky about my milk. I like it local and non-homogenized and grassfed and not ultra-temp pasteurized and preferrably organic but at least hormone/antibiotic free, blah blah blah. Yogurt that truly meets my dairy criteria is very hard to find and VERY expensive. But I can find the milk for $6.00/gal at Whole Foods, and the milk begets the yogurt.

- 3 -

You Have Control Over the Additives

So many yogurts are chock full of not only sugar but thickening agents and all kinds of other things that I'm sure do something, but I'm one of those really annoying types that likes to be able to pronounce everything on my food labels.

Back when Breyer's did that commercial with the kids who were trying to read the ingredient list of various ice cream brands and they could only read the Breyer's label because the ingredients were so basic. I loved that commercial. I was like "Preach it, kindergarteners!"

- 4 -

It isn't hard to do. 

I've never totally botched a batch of yogurt: I've had batches with better or worse consistency, but never a total fail. I'm pretty good at following directions, but I manage to screw up lots of kitchen efforts despite following the directions religiously. So I can say with the authority of the botcher: yogurt isn't hard to make. Making it takes forethought, but once it's part of your routine, it's a breeze.

- 5 -

You Can Find a Method That Works for You

There are lots of ways to make yogurt. You can make it in a Crock Pot. You can make it in your oven. You can make it with a cooler. You can make it in the yogurt maker you scored at Goodwill. Lots of options. See my way at the end of the post. Or Google it and find one that works with your life and your schedule.

- 6 -

You Can Strain it to Make Greek Yogurt

Real Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt because the whey has been strained out. (You can do this by dumping your yogurt into a cheese cloth draped over a strainer and letting the whey drip out for a few hours.)

Just think: someday when you skip your nightly ice cream scoop to indulge in your homemade Greek yogurt sweetened with raw local honey, not only will you get to eat something delicious that you made all by your little self and is pretty good for you on the dessert scale, you'll also get to contemplate how in Rhodes Log estimation you've reached the epitome of coolness.

- 7 -

Our Method

Gather ingredients: Milk and "Starter Yogurt" (Use yogurt from your last batch or if it's storebought, make sure it has "live and active cultures.)

Place jar(s) in stock pot.

Pour milk into jar(s).

Fill stockpot with water.

Boil jars in your pot till milk reaches a temp of 185 degrees-ish. (No thermometer? They're pretty cheap, or you can just heat it till the milk has a skin on top.) I start my batches of yogurt when I know I'm going to be in the kitchen for at least a half hour because that's about how long it takes to heat the milk in the stock pot.

Remove jar from pot to cool.

Check back in a couple hours. When the milk reaches a temperature of 110-120 degrees, gently stir in 1/4 c. yogurt per quart of milk. (No thermometer? Cool it till it's very warm but not so hot that you can't hold the jar comfortably in your hands.)

Put lid on jar and store in warm place (like your oven with the light on) for 8-24 hours.

Once yogurt has set, transfer it to the fridge. Don't stir it and try not to jostle it before it's chilled, that seems to be the key for better texture.

And Voila! Thoughts? Tips? Advice? Beef? I'd love to hear any and all of it. Linking up with Kathryn!

7QT: Running, Kids Say the Darndest, and DIY Diaper Cream

- 1 -

Thanks for the encouragement on Wednesday's post. The succulents I planted are still alive which is impressive in this house. I tend to kill succulents faster than they would die naturally if you dumped them out.

- 2 -

I've finally gotten my jog back on. I want to train for the Congress Avenue Mile in Austin, but I tend to get injured whenever I train for races. I can jog and jog and jog but as soon as I think the words "training plan," I swear an old injury will start twinging.

Kallah posted her injury proof running plan. For my runner readers (especially those with experience jumping back into running postpartum): what do you do to avoid injury?

- 3 -

Jake is seeming so much older to me. I suppose having a second baby will do that to a mother.

The other day he was outside arguing with his imaginary friend about who's turn it was.

When I hug him, he's taken to patting my head and saying: "You're a good girl, mama."

He fake laughs a lot, basically whenever we laugh about something he fake laughs and then asks, "Excuse me, Papa, why is that funny?"

I can't tell if this means he's destined for comedy or decidedly NOT destined for comedy.

- 4 -

But older seeming or not he still mispronounces things - and mispronunciations are among the best parts of parenting.

And though it's been a long time since we've used "bluebabies" or "strawbabies" in our fruit smoothies, and "roghut" may now be a more correct if laborious "yooohgerrt," no, Jake, this is Mass, this is not a "bathtizing."

- 5 -

Lucy June is ever still a mama's girl. This is still the best and worst thing about my life.

I suppose that's why God made every phase of parenting so temporary.

- 6 -

We're about to run out of my favorite diaper cream. 

I got outfitted with it via baby showers when Jake was born and I LOVE it, but now that I need to replace it, I'm royally balking at the price. $9.00 an ounce!?! That's like $4.50 per tablespoon!?

I'm a bit of a DIY for better or worse type, so I thought I'd give it a try.

The two main ingredients are olive oil and beeswax, and since my babies really aren't that rashy, I decided to make do with just those two and skip the fancy calendula-type stuff. I didn't intend to make very much of it, but my ratio was very off at the beginning, and as I attempted to save my efforts, my batch kept getting bigger and bigger until I had a cup and a half of the stuff.

My rookie efforts were pretty messy. Simply melting the ingredients together didn't get me the consistency I wanted, so I kept graduating my mixing tools from spoon to fork to whisk to immersion blender. Ultimately, I was left with a usable product that seems like it will work almost as well my beloved diaper cream...and enough of it to last until Lucy June turns 12.

- 7 -

The experience prompted the age old question:

Happy Fish Day! Visit Jen's for more takes.

7QT: The World's Best Kale Salad and Other Stuff Too

Jen's Quick Takes were such a good idea. I can't tell you how many times I've stared back at a week of postless days and told myself that I could manage seven blurbs. So here I go.

- 1 -

Though I realize you're hardly inclined to take tips from my kitchen after I outed myself as a maker of flaxseed pancakes, I'll give you something more palatable: banana blueberry baked oatmeal. I've been making this recipe for a while now, and we love it. It is the number one Google search for "baked oatmeal" because I'm all kinds of original. When I make it, I up the salt to a scant teaspoon, I cut the cinnamon in half, I use half coconut milk and half water, and I skip the sugar because the bananas make it pretty sweet.

Jacob recently admitted to liking this baked oatmeal recipe better (ahem...the #2 Google hit for "baked oatmeal.") It's a southern staple. And it is very good. But it's basically like eating a cookie for breakfast.

To which he would respond: "Exactly."

- 2 -

Katrina of Cedars and Tiny Flowers called for kale recipes, and since she's basically the sweetest thing to hit the blogosphere, who can say no to her?? (She also has a Blog2Print giveaway running for like two more hours or something but you should still totally put in for it!)

So, kale. I've spent half of my adult life trying to find the best dressing for kale salad. Kale is tough for salads. Even when it's pretty tender, it's tough. I've massaged and marinated, even blanched and sauteed, and was never pleased and often left eating my cold wilted effort by myself after Jacob turned his nose up at it. But a few months ago an old family friend e-mailed me a link to what has proven to be THE BEST kale salad I've ever tried (Thanks, Joanie!!) So how does one get light and crunchy kale leaves in her salad? VOILA.

Try it and then come back and thank me.

- 3 -

My friend Blythe is posting again after a I don't know how many years. You should definitely visit. She's basically my favorite. Ever.

- 4 -

I'm trying to figure out how to post on the blog more regularly. Posts are five times easier to write if I have any pictures from our real camera to go with them. My iPhone pics don't inspire me because my camera skills are nonexistent. My husband's camera has an awesome lens, and it helps me fake my way into decent pictures. I intend to learn more about using his camera someday, but until then I'm just going to be intimidated whenever anyone starts using technical language like "shutter speed" or "aperture."

- 5 -

We've put Jake on a fast from our devices in honor of the season, and driving in the car today, he told his father he needed a special "Lent iPad."

Parents of the year.

- 6 -

Jacob has been working super hard. He took off March 2nd for the baby's baptism, and we calculated that it was his first full day off since January 1st. His next day off will be in late March and after that things should settle down. We're grateful for the work, but Lordy, has it been busy. The other day he was home with enough time to embark on some handyman project in the house and asked: "What house project is most time sensitive that I get to? Do you want me to put the shelves in our closet or do you want me to finish my workbench?"

Hmm....tough decision.

- 7 -

When Jacob was proofreading my post about Lucy June's baptism (specifically the escaped toddler part) to check for typos, he said: "What about the error of your entire perspective on the situation?"

Start your own blog, babe.

Grain Free Flaxseed Pancakes

So I suppose I've been making this recipe long enough to pass it along. I shall start by saying we don't practice a grain free lifestyle. I am very much NOT #againstallgrain. I love love lovity love grain. But I know a lot of people with real deal sensitivities and a lot more kids with even bigger sensitivities and in an effort not to test our luck I try to keep the real zingers, like wheat, to a minimum in this house. Think steaming french bread or fresh crunchy ciabatta over sandwich bread. (So by minimum, maybe I mean maximum.) I just make sure that wheat products fall in the quality over quantity category over here and that we steer our spaghetti and red sauce more toward pasta bolognese.

I have a very calculated algorithm that I use to determine what's *worth* eating. It's not groundbreaking or anything, and I imagine it isn't unique at all. If something is very good for me then it doesn't have to taste very good for me to enjoy it (beets). If something is bad for me then it has to taste utterly delicious or I can't enjoy it (a crispy chocolate croissant). When things are both healthful and delicious then my enjoyment level goes off the chart (avocados). I just wrote two sentences that went on in this mostly pointless vein, and I deleted them. You're welcome.

So we start with pancakes. I love pancakes. Whenever we have cultured buttermilk, I will go all in with old school fluffy pancakes, but for our weekday fare, when pancakes are just a vehicle for things like syrup or yogurt or fruit, I whip up these bad boys.

My mother originally sent me the recipe, and I think she found hers in William Davis's book Wheat Belly, and I've tweaked it and this is what I do.

Flaxseed Pancakes
Makes about 4 pancakes.

4 Tbs. Ground Flaxseed
2 Eggs
2 Tbs. Water
1 Tbs. Coconut Oil
Pinch of Salt
Dribble of Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

Mix all your ingredients together and cook'em up in a hot hot pan.

I usually mix mine in our blender. I use the blender to grind the whole flaxseeds and then I add all the ingredients except the baking soda and blend some more. I stop the blender and sprinkle in the baking soda, then I either stir it in or turn the blender on low for a couple seconds. I pour them straight from the blender into the pan. Altogether a very straightforward and easy breakfast, but it took a little practice before I was making them to my satisfaction, so if at first you don't succeed...add extra maple syrup.

The first time my mother served these I was pretty skeptical. I've tried my hand at various grain free pancakes - typically involving coconut flour - and I've never liked them enough to try them again, but these are surprisingly good considering the ingredients and do a bang up job of serving as a boat for syrup and yogurt. My husband and my brother, who typically don't stand for this kind of thing, both admit that they aren't that bad (We'll take it!), and Jakeboy hasn't even noticed that they're different from regular pancakes (For the win!).

I'm sure it's not news to you that flaxseeds are good for you. I'm pretty sure I read that in Shape in like 2002  - once a trendy healthfood addict always a trendy healthfood addict, so I can say that flaxseeds have been quite cool for quite awhile. Their omega 3 fatty acids maintain their health benefits even after being heated to high temperatures. They're chock full of fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants and all kinds of other healthful things that the French think Americans are stupid for caring about.

Go forth. Try them. Hope that your palate is as lacking in discernment as my toddler's and enjoy!